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‘Goblin mode’ chosen as Oxford Dictionaries word of 2022

As language continues to evolve, dictionaries have added new words and phrases to their publications or have chosen “the word of the year.”

Merriam-Webster said “gaslighting” was the word for 2022.

Scrabble added 500 words to its official dictionary.

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Oxford Dictionaries, not to be left out, has chosen its word of the year — “goblin mode,” The Associated Press reported.

According to Oxford Languages, goblin mode is slang for “a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.”

It was first seen on Twitter in 2009 and went viral in February, becoming more popular during and after the COVID-19 lockdowns, according to Oxford officials.

“Goblin Mode really does speak to the times and the zeitgeist, and it is certainly a 2022 expression. People are looking at social norms in new ways. It gives people the license to ditch social norms and embrace new ones,” linguist and lexicographer Ben Zimmer said during the word of the year announcement.

Other words or phrases that were under consideration for Oxford’s word of the year included “Metaverse” and “#IStandWith.”